The Concerned for Working Children

To

The Chief Minister

Karnataka

Respected Sir,

Subject: Requesting you to ensure that all State-run, State recognised and State-supported residential care institutions and hostels for children, adolescents and youth remain fully functional during COVID – 19 waves to protect and provide for the most vulnerable young people. 

As the third wave of COVID – 19 is upon the state, as it is, in the country, we urge you to ensure that the State protects, provides for and cares for its young citizens, especially those who require it the most.

We, the Concerned for Working Children (www.concernedforworkingchildren.org have worked closely with the government of Karnataka, with elected panchayats and a large number of civil society organisations in the country to help children and young people to the best of our abilities as is well recognised. We are also a Fit Institution under the Juvenile Justice Act and were one of the very few organisations in the State that not only continued to have our residential care programme fully functionally, but we also set up provisions for COVID care for children at our Regional Resource Center, in Kundapura, Udupi district.

All around us we have witnessed how the other Child Care Institutions of State and those provided recognition by the State sent away children to their parents or guardians, and State run hostels closed down – all of which created extensive hardship on children and young people. This was also the case when student hostels under the Social Welfare Department or Schools run for the most marginalised girls were closed down.

We do hold the view that institutional care for children needs to be the last resort for children. But the children who are already in such institutions or residential programmes are there because they are in dire need of care and support. These children and young people are from families that are unable to provide them due to reasons that may not be in their control; some young people may be from abusive backgrounds. Many of them lack families or are from single-parent families; Even for those who do have families, these families have no support, preparedness or facilities to provide for young ones under a medical emergency such as this. This is especially true as due to COVID, lakhs of jobs have been lost, there is no food security, mental health challenges are rampant, distress migration has displaced thousands and will inevitably push many children into situations of greater risk of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

These vulnerable children in need of care and protection as recognised by the state can be provided heath security through following appropriate COVID – 19 protection guidelines laid down by the state. By opening the hostels, the state can avoid further marginalisation of these vulnerable children who may choose to engage in exploitative child labour or expose themselves to any other abusive environments, considering the vulnerability of the realities they come from. Sending children away from care institutions and residential institutions under these circumstances, without considering the views of children and their families and without an assessment cannot be in their best interest is unquestionably a stark violation of their rights and totally against their best interests which the State is committed to upholding.

During the second wave, the State government responded to our requests for ensuring children who went home from Child Care institutions could receive a care package. However, as most homes are impoverished, it would not be possible to ensure the care package is only available for children. The local governments also have to ensure that children who are not in any educational or other institutions are provided for – that is also demanding considering the limited resources available to them. The local governments are staggering under the demands they need to respond to.

In the light of all of these, when the State Government of Karnataka ensures that all State-run, State recognised and State-supported residential care institutions and hostels for children, adolescents and youth remain fully functional during COVID – 19 waves to protect and provide for the most vulnerable young people, it would be role model for the entire country as a State Committed to the wellbeing and rights of its young citizens. We would also like to highlight that that the state already has robust guidelines for CCIs for COVID – 19 care and protection of children and the same would be appropriate for all residential children care facilities including hostels run by the Department of Social Welfare and Education.

In line with this, if any Child Care Institutions (CCI) supported by the Civil Society Organisations does not continue to provide for and care of its residents, the state would be fully justified to cancel their recognition as a Fit Institution, for their failure to support children when they need it the most.

To support all care centres and residential institutions, the State mechanisms should ensure that all the required medical and logistical support is provided to all child care and children’s residential institutions with speedy access to vaccinations and COVID Care Centres (CCIs) for those children and young people who are affected so that the spread of infection within the care institutions can be contained.

We look forward to your further steps to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable of children and young people. If required, we are available to discuss this further with you and the concerned officials.

Thank you very much for your attention.